Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Geese at Green Lake

As ubiquitous as seagulls, pigeons and crows, Canada geese
are not necessarily my favorite birds. These poop machines generate so much product that they can be a nasty nuisance at
city parks like Green Lake where they like to hang out. (It seems like they
don’t leave in the winter as they are supposed to – why go through a tedious,
tiring migration when you can stay fat and happy in a moderate climate like
Seattle’s?) But I have to say that Canada geese make excellent life-drawing
models. They move constantly, but not very fast, and although they spook if a
dog comes by, they have no fear of people. This morning as I quietly stood very
close to these geese, they barely gave me a nod. In fact, when I opened my bag
for a waterbrush, they must have thought I had food; several gathered even
closer, eyeing me expectantly.

They give the impression of being clumsy when they run, but they
walk with style and grace. After spending an hour sketching them in as many
poses as I could and simply enjoying their elegant movements, I took a longer
view to put them in the context of the park.

On my way back to the car, I stopped for one more quick sketch,
this time of the lake and the neighborhood beyond it.